Alaric said nothing, just sipped his coffee with a smile.
He knew it would be hard for him to be exposed now. People only believe the truths they want to believe, and even if Klein suspected something, he'd likely choose to avoid it.
After all, if it came out that Jack and Lucifer were the same person, Alaric wouldn't be the only one facing social death. The deceiver might be embarrassed, but what about the deceived?
Medici averted his gaze, barely able to watch. He couldn't fathom Alaric's bizarre hobby of constantly wearing disguises to fool people.
Will, meanwhile, seemed to realize something. He glanced between Alaric and Klein, then lowered his eyes, saying nothing.
As a Snake of Mercury, Will had seen many things and knew certain truths.
But as a smart being, he'd keep his mouth shut.
"…Enough heavy topics. Let's get back to raising Lil' Amon. I don't want the main Amon checking in later and finding we let Lil' Amon die. That'd be a nightmare." Alaric said, taking charge. He stroked his chin. "Also, we've overlooked something. Even if Lil' Amon grows faster than a normal person, he still needs to learn. Does he even know how to read?"
The others exchanged glances. Klein raised his hand. "Lil' Amon can't read newspapers, so… probably not?"
"Great, so we're starting from preschool level." Alaric said, shrugging. He looked at Medici. "Red Mommy, this is... "
"Don't look at me. I don't have the patience to teach Amon to read." Medici interrupted, cutting Alaric off. "If you're counting on me, you might as well do it yourself. You're a teacher, right?"
"I'm not a preschool teacher!" Alaric grumbled, then turned his gaze to Will with a smile. "Will, you reset all the time. You must know a thing or two about early education, right?"
"…"
Was he, a mighty Snake of Mercury, really here to play kindergarten teacher?
"Come on, it's Amon! Don't you want to hear Amon call you 'Teacher Will'?" Alaric pressed, upping the ante before Will could refuse.
Will fell silent, realizing he was actually tempted.
Come on, it's Amon!
Who among those tormented by Amon could resist the chance to be his teacher?
Had Will been messed with by Amon? Of course... there wasn't an angel alive who hadn't.
"I'll give it a try, but no promises it'll work." Will said after a few seconds of thought, choosing his words carefully.
…
True to Red Mommy's prediction, Lil' Amon's fever broke the next day, and he was back to his lively self.
But that liveliness didn't last long. His beloved Red Mommy informed him that, at four years old, he was a big kid now and needed to start studying.
Then Medici introduced Will, the freshly minted kindergarten teacher, along with a stack of learning materials taller than Lil' Amon himself.
Even without ever attending school, Lil' Amon instantly understood the plight of students everywhere. Staring at the towering pile of books, he felt the sky was falling.
"But I only live for a hundred days. What's the point of learning all this?" Lil' Amon protested, making a desperate plea.
Will, flipping through his lesson plans, shot a glance at the others. Though he didn't speak, his eyes clearly said, This is how you've been stringing this Amon along?
"You can't say that. Learning is a way of life. Whether you live a hundred years or a hundred days, you should never stop learning." Alaric said, unfazed and confident. "Haven't you noticed, Lil' Amon, that everyone in this house... me, Klein, Medici, Azik... never stops learning?"
It was true. Surprisingly, Medici, who seemed the least scholarly and patient, regularly read newspapers for information, studied ancient texts, explored hidden histories, and even joined Azik to learn about modern mystical knowledge.
Medici might hate writing, but that didn't mean he didn't learn.
The others were even more studious.
In this household, aside from Lil' Amon, there wasn't a single member who didn't love learning.
Lil' Amon froze, his small face scrunching as he recalled the others' daily routines. To his dismay, he realized Alaric wasn't lying... it seemed to be true.
Alaric pressed on. "Do you want to be illiterate, Lil' Amon?"
"No way I'm gonna be illiterate." Lil' Amon said, shaking his head, his expression firming up. But when he looked at the stack of materials taller than him, his resolve wavered. He mumbled, "But it's so much…"
"You don't have to learn it all in one day. Take it slow." Alaric said with a smile, ruffling Lil' Amon's hair.
Nearby, Klein curiously pulled a book from the pile and froze.
The title read: Treatise on Wealth.
What the... where did this come from?
Klein stared at the clearly unofficial book, then looked at Alaric. "Jack, where'd this come from?"
"The old man wrote it out and had it printed privately. It was finished yesterday, originally meant to support Red's endeavors. But since it's ready, I figured I'd slip a copy into Lil' Amon's study materials." Alaric said candidly. After deciding to use his Lucifer persona for public speeches to boost his presence, he'd been working on this. Yesterday, while Lil' Amon was sick, Lucifer was out handling it.
"…Impressive." Klein said, at a loss for words, settling on a simple term to express his shock.
"But isn't this a bit advanced for Lil' Amon? Can he even understand it?" Klein asked, glancing at the four-year-old with a tactful tone.
"If he doesn't get it, no big deal. It'll leave an impression." Alaric said with a smile. "Don't forget, Lil' Amon's only four today, but he'll grow fast. Starting this isn't too early."
Klein fell silent for a few seconds, conceding that Jack had a point.
He flipped through the familiar yet unfamiliar book, complex emotions stirring. Even though it wasn't his first time seeing it, he couldn't help but get absorbed.
Alaric wasn't surprised by Klein's engrossed reaction. That morning, when he handed the book to Medici, he'd reacted much the same.
Some ideas, even across time and space, never fail to captivate.
***
If you like the Classroom of the Elite and Danganronpa series, don't hesitate to check out the new project I'm currently working on:
[COTE: The True Perfect Human]
Synopsis:
Since the era when humanity was still focused on steam and coal, people have already been questioning what the Perfect Human truly looks like.
Some say the Perfect Human possesses overwhelming physical strength… others claim the Perfect Human has unparalleled intelligence.
Of course, there are also those who believe the Perfect Human possesses both... strength and intellect.
Like Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
That's why when people ask who the most perfect human in all of fiction is, they often point to the Masterpiece of the White Room as the Perfect Human.
But… only the OGs know that the only Perfect Human who has ever walked this earth is...
The Ultimate Hope…
Izuru Kamukura.
...
This is the story of Izuru Kamukura as he challenges Classroom of the Elite searching for whether there is anything in this world capable of dispelling his boredom.